29 Oct Yosemite in style

I love the outdoors, which may come as a shock because most of you know how much I love all the things that happen indoors! I mean, what’s not to love? How could any modern human being not want to sit on a big comfy couch and be entertained by a magic box while gorging on freshly cooked anything and ice cold diet coke before tucking oneself into a nice warm bed safely hidden from bugs and wild animals by four strong walls?

Convenience man, it’s what we have been working towards throughout recorded history.

Reading the above you would be forgiven for wondering how I could also love the outdoors. Read on, there is more to this story…

On our way to San Francisco to meet up with our very generous friend Sam to live in her equally generous sisters house for a wee while, we were passing though Yosemite National Park, famous solely for its connection to an animated bear named Yogi and his somewhat less famous side kick Boo Boo, and not at all for its devastatingly beautiful scenery.

But the story starts a little before that, in a dirty smelly hovel of a motel surrounded by crackheads and irate cops.

You see, the earlier part of our tour into the US was marred by a somewhat unpleasant stay in the aforementioned hovel, but as is so often the case in life, even this unpleasant happening led to an amazingly fortuitous expansion of our travel plans, and even I would say, our lives. The morning after as we checked each other for accidental needle punctures and prayed that our car still had all four wheels, an idea struck our sleep deprived brains, “Lets get out in ‘The Nature.'” From this idea sprung a slurry of Google searches which almost by chance fell upon our saving grace, Glamping Hub.

Sarah had wanted to do a bit of camping in the US, and me loving the outdoors as I do was equally keen to do some hiking. What I was not keen to do, and believe after a night or two Sarah would feel the same way about, was sleep in the outdoors. I mean, I love hiking. Walking along mountain paths, breathing in fresh air, watching life go about its day while gently skirting its delicate surrounds – it’s like meditation for your body.

What I don’t like, is being dirty, sweaty or uncomfortable for long amounts of time. I like to do ‘The Nature’, and then go wash it off in a hot shower before tucking myself away in a comfy bed that sits at least two feet off the floor.

I like to be in nature, then leave it behind for the evening before coming back to it refreshed and craving its soothing yet somewhat icky embrace. For me this does not happen if I have to sleep in a tent surrounded by equally icky people. I need a comfy place to sleep, to shower, to make coffee in the morning, and a throne on which to read the newspaper, if you catch my drift.

Do you have my ducky?

Enter Glamping, and the fine folks at glampinghub.com. Aside from the occasional one liner in a movie or TV show, I had never really thought of Glamping much, in fact I just thought it meant having a really posh tent! As it turns out, there are glamping places all around the world and most of them offer my dream camping experience: walls, shower, toilet.

Try getting all this in a tent!

Our horrific night in the Crack Motel led us to want to experience the outdoors more, and my desire to not have to sleep outdoors led us to Glamping, which has led us to an awesome way to live during the times between house sits. So here we are, having completed our first bit of glamping in an amazing tree house in Yosemite National Park, and excited to have a whole new way to travel which doesn’t involve dingy motels or cramped tents, Hallelujah!

So now I can go for a wondrous eight mile hike with Sarah in some of the most beautiful “nature” in the world, and then I can come home and wash that nature right out of my hair before settling on the couch for a couple hours of Mike & Molly on the goggle box. What a delightful way to exist.

WHAT ABOUT THE HIKE AND THE NATURE?

Well the hike was incredible. After eating a lot (nothing new for me) in Las Vegas, I needed to average things out a bit and get some exercise. Enter an eight mile hike up and down three thousand feet of cliff side surrounded by insane vistas, squirrels, a woodpecker and a surprising amount of Australians.

It’s hard to describe how scenic Yosemite national park is, so I made a load of videos which I will turn into one ridiculously amazing video (along with the five others waiting in line), but for now some still images will have to do. Please enjoy.

P.S. Rob of hungryescapades, we climbed way higher than you and therefore had approximately four times as much fun.

We hiked to the top of those cliffs.

This view of Yosemite popped out of nowhere on our first day driving in the park.

If you get lost in the forest, follow the moss, or use a GPS.

“Sorry what Sarah? Look out for the WhAAAahhhhhhhhh!…”

Where we had our celebratory pic-a-nic basket

Sarah washing her Crystals in the stream.

Yosemite Valley in all its glory

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love this pics, espec the one of u in the kitchen! Were u actually doing some cooking? Unheard of! Seriously, beuatiful pics. Cannot wait to glamp! I could seriously get into it cuz I, like u, prefer just a lil bit o’ separation from The Nature while I sleep!SOS recently posted…i’ll keep writing

Hmmmm. Spell check hates me. No smiley face needed because 1) you already get me and 2) I am not kidding and 3) I am not Rob involved in a bromance which requires a safe amount of online & occasional flirting (via a winky smiley kissy icon).
I will, however, include itemization because I love a good, organized list.SOS recently posted…i’ll keep writing

When you think about it Kim, cabins are just tents that don’t go anywhere, and are made of wood, and have toilets… :).
I’m not surprised you are over the whole sleeping in a tent thing for now, you guys have had a bit of a wild man year really (PS you should watch Mick Dodge, I think you would like it).

Wowsers, those photos are incredible!! I had no idea you could do glamping in Yosemite but your Instagramming and the claw foot bath have me sold!Maddie recently posted…Travel Photo Roulette #82: Into the Wild